May Company Building

The May Company Building is a commercial structure in Downtown Los Angeles designed in the Beaux-Arts style. Its facade features balanced proportions with ornate moldings and carefully carved stone details that run across multiple levels.

Architect Alfred Rosenheim designed this structure in the early 1900s as the retail district in Downtown Los Angeles was expanding rapidly. It was part of a period when the city was becoming a major commercial hub.

The building shows how department stores became gathering places where people shopped and socialized together. It represents a time when these spaces shaped how Americans spent their leisure time in the city.

The building sits in an active part of Downtown Los Angeles and is easy to reach by public transportation. You can view the historic exterior from the street, and it works well to combine a visit with exploring nearby landmarks in the area.

The structure draws heavily from European classical design traditions, which was uncommon for American retail buildings of that era and signaled prestige. This reflected how store owners wanted to position their shops as important and respectable destinations in the expanding city.